Broadway Musical| a Guide to High School Production
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1963 Broadway musical| A guide to high school production Robert Cedric Colness The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Colness, Robert Cedric, "Broadway musical| A guide to high school production" (1963). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1712. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1712 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE BROADWAY MUSICAL: A GUIDE TO HIGH SCHOOL PRODUCTION by R. CEDRIC COLNESS B.M, Montana State University, Presented in partial fnlfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1963 Approved by: Chairman, Board of Exam , Graduate School MAY 3 1 1963 Late UMI Number: EP35221 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT (UMMTUtion PiM M ng UMI EP35221 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 8106-1346 TO The 1959-61 Custer County High School Concert Choir, Miles City, Montana without whose talent and enthusiasm this thesis would never have been possible. XX TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................... v FOREWORD ......................................................... vi I.. PLANNING A MUSICAL S H O W ...................................... 1 The Yardstick 1 The Cast 1 Production Costs 2 The Orchestra 2 Technical Aspects 3 Community Tastes 3 Summary 3 II. THE PRODUCTION STAFF ............................ 5 The Stage Director 6 The Musical Director 8 The Choreographer 9 The Technical Director 10 The Stage Manager 11 The Publicity Director 11 The "One Man" Show 12 III. THE CAST ..................................................... 13 Selecting The Cast 13 Cast Discipline, On or Off Stage 17 IV. THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND THE BROADWAY MUSICAL ............... 20 The Vocal Requirements of a Musical Show 20 High School Choreography 23 V. THE PROBLEM OF A PIT ORCHESTRA ................................ 2? Choosing a Show with the Orchestra in Mind 27 VI. SCHOOL THEATRE AND THE COMMUNITY .............................. 32 VII. PUTTING THE SHOW T O G E T H E R ...................................... 38 Rehearsal Scheduling 38 Stage Rehearsals 39 Vocal Rehearsals iiO Orchestral Rehearsals ijl Choreography Rehearsals Ijl Technical Rehearsals ij.2 The First Readings A3 Early Blocking A5 Cast Self-Criticism A8 Building a Professional Attitude 32 The Early Run-Throughs 53 ixx CHAPTER PAGE Dress Rehearsals 56 Opening Night and the Show's Run 58 VIII. THE TECHNICAL A S P E C T S ........................................ 60 The Problem of Sets 60 Lighting 66 Make-up 69 Borrowing Set Pieces and Stage Properties Costumes 75 Tickets, Programs, and Publicity 77 IX. WHERE TO GET I T .............................................. 82 Leasing Agents 82 Costumes 83 Publicity 83 Make-up Supplies 81* Lighting Equipment 81* Scenery 85 Fabrics 85 Package Musical Shows 85 BIBLIOGRAPHT ................................................... ... XV âCMQfWLEDGMEMTS The writer is indebted to John Vian, Music Theatre International, Gerald H. Doty, Firman H. Brown, Jr., George Lewis, and John Lester for their assistance and advice. Special thanks to Judith Colness for her information on high school choreography, and for her patient editing and typing. FOREWORD Our high schools possess a wealth of talented and eager youngsters who have the ability to rise to the occasion should they be given the opportunity to participate in the production of a Broadway musical. Can a high school successfully produce a Broadway show? The answer is obvious, for each year hundreds of schools successfully present the best that Broad way has to offer. Many more schools could present Broadway musical productions. There are far too many music and drama teachers who hesitate to undertake a musical production because they feel that the school lacks the necessary talent or facilities. This is the wrong attitude, for if a high school has a thriving music department and the usual stage facilities found in most schools, a Broadway musical can be successfully presented. There is a great variety of musical shows available with indigenous themes which the American public will admire for as long as the Italian public admires the works of Verdi. Most of these musicals readily lend themselves to a high school production. Great strides have been taken that make it possible, and not overly difficult, for schools to gain the educa tional and financial rewards that are the benefits of these stage productions. Theatrical business concerns are available to high schools in their endeavors to produce these shows. Publishers, costume rental agencies, make-up com panies, theatrical equipment companies, publicity services and other agencies are willing and able to provide what is needed— all for a surprisingly nominal fee. No would-be high school director should feel that he is taking a large step into the unknown if he decides to do a musical show. vi The key to the success of a high school production lies not with the innumerable aids available to the high school director; rather, success will come to the director who truly desires to produce a show. This cannot be a halfhearted desire, it must be an enthusiastic conviction. If the would- be director has the desire, and if he can inject his enthusiasm into faculty and students alike, then the production of a musical show will probably become a reality. The question is often asked: "Of what value is a high school musical production?" The answer to this question lies particularly with the fact that the venture is an educational one. For the talented, as well as for the average youngster, a musical production offers a perfect opportunity to act, sing, and dance professional material before a live and responsive audience. No student can come out of a theatrical adventure without having had his emotional, intellectual, physical, and mental horizons broadened. Under the wise guidance of a capable faculty production staff, participation in a musical production will certainly serve to expand a student’s cultural and social appreciation. vix CHAPTER I PIANNING A MUSICAL SHOP The Yardstick Once a school group has decided to produce a musical show, the first consideration to be faced is, of course, "What show shall we do?" This can be a perplexing problem. It is absolutely imperative that any show undertaken, regardless of budget or talent limitations, should be done well and be a joy to participants and audiences alike. Without this paramount goal in mind, a school is better off not attempting to stage a musical production. There are five general categories to be considered in the choice of a musical— the requirements of the cast, the cost of the production, the orchestra, the difficulty of production, and the tastes of the community. The director of any show, amateur or professional, faces all of the above categories when choosing a suitable show. Let us consider each category and its relation to the final choice of a musical show for a high school production. The Cast The cast requirements must receive first consideration. As a director looks at a prospective show, he must ask himself these vital questionsÎ l) Does the show require a large or a small cast? 2) Does the show require well trained voices for the major singing roles, or can the average high school vocalist handle the part? 3) Can students success fully cope with the character roles? ii) How much choreography is necessary? and 5) Will the cast be able to rise to the occasion? If the director can 1 2 favorably answer these questions, then he is well on his way toward the choice of a show. Production Costs Estimating production costs is a vital aspect in the choice of a musical show. The following items should serve as the basis for the estimation of all major production expenses: 1. Performance royalties and fees for rental of dramatic, vocal, and orchestral material. 2. Construction and painting of scenery. 3. Rental or purchase of lighting equipment, sound effects, public address system, or other stage and technical equipment. U. Publicity, advertising and the printing of tickets and programs. 5. Rental or purchase of costumes and make-up. 6 . Rental or purchase of set pieces and stage properties. With this expense guide, the director should estimate the cost of the production. The director will find that some expense items can be accurately gauged. Cost of royalty fees, rental of musical, dramatic, and orchestral materials, and costume rental can be obtained from firms dealing with these items. Estimation of other expenses must be made by consultation with local firms involved. The show's budget, determined by cost estimation, will depend on what the school group can afford. Larger high schools with greater audience resources may be able to afford an elaborate production, while smaller schools may have to be content with much less. Both large and small schools can achieve and enjoy satisfying results from a job well done. The Orchestra Next, those concerned with the choice of a musical must consider the orchestral requirements.